Mugger Refuses New Yorker’s Flip Phone

One mugger in New York City hoping to score an iPhone or Android device was sorely disappointed when he held up Kevin Cook over the weekend. While walking through Central Park around midnight, Cook, a Sports Club salesman, and a friend were allegedly held up by a gun-wielding robber, who demanded the two give up their belongings. When Cook handed over an old flip phone, the mugger simply handed it back, seemingly repulsed—and probably very surprised—by the outdated technology.

When millions upon millions of users now own a smartphone, flip phone ownership, especially for someone in their twenties like Cook, is becoming much rarer; it’s probably harder to find someone with a flip phone than it is a smartphone. Whatever the case, the mugger didn’t even want to waste his time.

“I guess he didn’t think he could get anything for it,” Cook said. Apparently the device in question was a 3-year old “Windows Phone,” though the model wasn’t identified. We can’t think of any mainstream Windows Phones with a flip-mechanism, so Cook could have been talking about Windows Mobile, though that’s much older than 3-years of age.

Either way, no apps, no games, no thanks. While there’s no way of corroborating Cook’s story, I wouldn’t really be surprised if it were true. Most devices today have killer resale values, and it’s never been easier to sell them with services such as Gazelle. But a flip phone? Not even muggers want to waste their time with something like that. For your entertainment, I imagine the exchange went down something like this. (NSFW language included)